He was predeceased by his wife of 60 years, Melba Clara (Spies) Hoffmann. He had been a resident of Fort Collins, Colorado for 28 years.
George was born on September 18, 1919 in St. Louis, Missouri to Hans and Dorothy Hoffmann. He graduated from Roosevelt High School, and then needed to go directly into the workforce to help support his mother and younger siblings, Mary Catherine and William (Bill). He proudly achieved his Eagle Scout rank in 1936 from the Boy Scouts of America.
When WWII came calling, he enlisted at age 22 in the U.S. Army, completing his training at Camp Roberts in California. The Army and George agreed they were NOT a match, and he was Honorably Discharged. Instead of allowing the draft to choose his next military move, he enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard until his Honorable Discharge as a Coxswain in October 1945. He was assigned to the USS Woonsocket in the North Atlantic. He enjoyed telling his family stories about his experiences on ship and on shore leave.
George next began working at a meat company owned by his uncle, where he started as a laborer and eventually climbed his way into sales. A few years later, he met his future bride Melba, who herself had been in the Navy in WWII. They married in 1948. The Korean War came calling next, and George reenlisted, this time in the U.S. Naval Reserves, assigned to lead training of new enlistees at Great Lakes Naval Base in Illinois. He reveled in his stories of how hard he drove the enlistees under his supervision and how unpopular he was in his role. No one who knew George would doubt this to be anything but true. He admitted, though, that the reasons for his strict behavior and discipline was to prepare the men for the harsh realities of active duty, to make them stronger sailors, and he was pleased that he accomplished his goal. He was Honorably Discharged in February 1954.
He eventually took over ownership and management of Koncen Meat Company until he retired at age 63. During retirement, George and Melba split their time between St. Louis and Clearwater Beach, Florida. They enjoyed dining out, especially with friends. George kept fit by running, and later in life, by walking for miles.
Aside from his work, his other passion in life was St. Louis University Basketball. He was a season ticket holder and member of the Billiken Tip-Off Club for over 50 years, and contributed generously to the basketball program. He and Melba had many friends in the Club and they rarely missed a home game.
He was a big personality, enjoying bantering with others, talking college basketball, and he always had opinions and advice to give.
George is survived by his three children, George J. Hoffmann, Jr. (“Jay”) and Dr. Mark Hoffmann (wife, Dr. Julie), both of Fort Collins, and Ann Larson (husband, Kent) of Walnut Creek, California. He is also survived by his four grandchildren, Greta Hoffmann of Seattle, Washington; Phillip Hoffmann (wife, Abby) of Dallas, Texas; and Jenna Larson and Scott Larson of Walnut Creek, and other family and friends.
In addition to his wife, he is predeceased by his younger siblings, sister Mary Catherine Grefenkamp of St. Louis, and brother William “Bill” Hoffmann of San Diego. As the oldest, and designated the “man of the house” while still in high school, he felt a strong responsibility for and cared deeply about each of them.
On March 7, 2020 at 12:00 p.m., a funeral Mass will be held at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton church in Fort Collins, followed by a graveside service at 1:30 p.m. at Grandview Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in his honor to Spirit Crossing Clubhouse at www.summitstonehealth.org/spirit-crossing-clubhouse/.
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